Tobacco-caser.



J. 0. BRANN.

TOBACCO GASER.

APPLICATION IILBD APR. 22, 1911.

1,004,624. Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

(D (D O is 0 0o Witnesses Inventor by Z a Z I Attornys JOHN C. BRANN, 0FHAMPTONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

TOBACCO-GASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed April 22, 1911. Serial No. 622,819.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BRANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hamptonville, in the county of Yadkin and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Tobacco-(laser, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application, is a furnace,adapted to be placed within a tobacco barn, the furnace being providedwith suit-able tanks, whereby the air within the tobacco barn will bemoistened, so that the tobacco will ease properly.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a furnace of noveland improved form, and to provide novel means for assembling tanks withthe furnace, so as to effect a thorough moistening of the air within thestructure in which the furnace is contained.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means forpreventing the air within the tobacco barn from being dried, by theaction of the furnace.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a top plan, parts being broken away; Fig. 2is a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 3 is a transverse section; Fig.4 is an end elevation of the outlet pipe and its casing; and Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail from Fig. 3.

In carrying out the invention there is provided as a primary andfundamental element, a furnace, denoted generally by the numeral 1. Thefurnace preferably, although not necessarily, is a structure open atboth the top and the bottom, and of rectangular configuration. Thefurnace 1 embraces side walls 2 and an end wall 3. At the open end ofthe furnace, the side walls are connected by a bottom bar 1, and by atop bar 5, defining between them, an opening 6, through which the fuelmay be introduced into the furnace. The side walls 1 are prolongedbeyond the open end of the furnace, and are flexed outwardly, to formflanges 7. A sliding door 8 is provided, for closing the opening 6, thisdoor 8 having along 1ts vertical edges, guides 9, adapted to interlockwith the flan es 7 At its upper edge, the door 8 is provided with anoutstanding lip 10, whereby the door may be raised or lowered.

Extended through the end wall 3 of the furnace, is a pipe 11, this pipein operation, being ordinarily extended through the side wall of thetobacco barn. The pipe, between the furnace and the wall of the tobaccobarn, is surrounded by a casing, denoted generally by the numeral 12.This casing 12 is preferably a one-piece structure, fashioned from asheet of metal, one edge of which is rectangular-1y disposed, to form aflange 14, adapted, at its free edge, to rest upon the pipe 11. theperiphery of the casing 12 is back-bent upon itself, to form a rib 15,and upon the free edge of the strip of material from which the casing 12is fashioned, there is a hook-shaped flange 14, adapted to lock over therib 15. The construction, obviously, is such that the casing 12 mayreadily be placed about'the pipe 11, and, with equal facility, beremoved therefrom.

The furnace is ordinarily employed in a tobacco barn having an earthfloor. Under such circumstances, no bottom for the furnace is required.However, when the furnace is employed in a structure having a woodenfloor, the furnace may be equipped with a bottom 17, supported uponsuitable trestles 18, or in any other desired manner.

The invention further includes a pair of side tanks 19, the side tanksextending the full length of the furnace 1. These side tanks 19 may beattached to the furnace in any desired manner, depending upon the tasteof the manufacturer. Preferably, however, side tanks 19 are equipped attheir upper edges, with hook-shaped flanges 20, adapted to engage overthe upper edges of the side walls 2 of the furnace 1.

The invention further includes a pan 21, fitting closely within theupper open portion of the furnace 1. This pan 21, about its entireperiphery, is equipped with hookshaped flanges 20, adapted to interlockover the flanges 20 of the side tanks.

The invention further includes a cover 23, provided with a suitablehandle 24, and having perforations 25. Around its periphery, the cover23 is equipped with a depending lip 26, adapted to inclose the furnace 1and side tanks 19.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The flange 14, adjacent The side tanks 19 and the pan 21 are partiallyfilled with water, and a fire is built in the furnace 1, the products ofcombustion passing outwardly through the pipe 11, to the exterior of thetobacco barn. Owing to the fact that the pipe 11 is surrounded by thecasing 12, the air in the tobacco barn will be prevented, to a largeextent, from being dried out, through coming into a direct contact withthe heated pipe 11. If desired, obviously, the casing 12 may be extendedthrough the side wall of the tobacco barn, so that the air on theoutside of the tobacco barn may circulate within the casing 12, andabout the pipe 11. The moisture generated in the side tanks 19, and inthe pan 21, serves to maintain the air Within the tobacco barn in arelatively moist condition. It is to be noted that the relatively largeareas, defined by the side walls 2 of the furnace, are housed in by theside tanks 19, so that these side Walls 2 cannot serve to heat the airwithin the tobacco barn, the side walls affording relatively largeheating areas, whereby the temperature of the water within the sidetanks 19 may be raised.

A tobacco barn equipped with the device herein disclosed, will be at alltimes in a sufiiciently moist condition, so that the tobacco will easeproperly, it being unnecessary to wait for a moist day, for themanipulation of the tobacco within' the barn.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A structurefor moistening the air within a tobacco barn, the structure comprising abox-like furnace, the entire lower end of which is disposed in a commonplane; an open top pan adapted to cover the entire top of the furnace;and open top side tanks covering the sides of the furnace completely;the construction being such that when the lower end of the furnace isplaced upon the floor of the tobacco barn, the ends only of the furnacewill be effective to heat the air of the barn, thereby procuring amaximum dispersion of moisture, with a minimum drying out of the airwithin the barn.

2. A device of the class described comprising a box-like furnace, theentire lower end of which is disposed in a common plane; an open top panadapted to cover the entire top of the furnace; and open top side tankscovering the sides of the furnace completely, the panand the tankshaving their tops disposed in flush relation; a perforated cover adaptedto serve as a closure for the tanks and for the pan; a pipe projectingfrom one end of the furnace; and a removable casing inclosing the pipeand spaced therefrom.

3. In a device of the class described, a furnace; side tanks locatedalong the sides of the furnace; and a pan adapted to fit in the top ofthe furnace; the pan and the tanks having hook-shaped element-s adaptedto engage with each other, one of which, is adapted to engage over theother, the last named element being adapted to engage over the edge ofthe furnace.

4:. In a device of the class described, a furnace; side tanks, locatedalong the sides of the furnace, and having hook-shaped elements adaptedto engage over the side walls of the furnace, and a pan, adapted to fitwithin the top of the furnace, and having hook-shaped elements, adaptedto engage over the hook-shaped elements of the side tanks, whereby thepan will constitute a means for holding the side tanks in place upon thefurnace.

5. In a device of the class described, a

furnace; side tanks, located along the sides 3 of the furnace, andhaving hook-shaped elements adapted to engage over the side walls of thefurnace, and a pan, adapted to fit within the top of the furnace, andhaving hook-shaped elements, adapted to engage over the hook-shapedelements of the side tanks, whereby the pan will constitute a means forholding the side tanks in place upon the furnace; and a perforatedcover, adapted to extend over the top of the furnace, and over the panand the tanks.

6. A device of the class described comprising a furnace; a pipehorizontally projecting from one end wall of the furnace; and aone-piece casing surrounding the pipe, the casing having a dependingflange adapted to rest upon the pipe, the free end of the casing beingextended, in tubular form, around the pipe, the free edge of the casingbeing interlocked, removably, with the flange.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. BRANN.

Vitnesses SANTFORD MARTIN, O. O. TESLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

